Wade McHargue, USA
“Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.”
Luke 17:33
One of the greatest revivals in recent church history came through a man named William Booth, who founded the Salvation Army. In spite of the distractions and obstacles of wealth, politics, work, indifference, coldness in the Church, etc., God moved in power and shook a nation through the Salvation Army.
William Booth’s strategy was to put God’s power and grace on display by going to the worst part of the city, the darkest section, so that His light could shine for many to see. He would say, “Go straight for souls, and go for the worst.”
This is what Booth did with his fellow “soldiers of the Cross,” and through the transformation of those rough areas of East London, he gained the attention of the masses and those in leadership. Thus, he was even able to see laws passed that affected all of England (and spilled over into America).
Are you ready to lose your life for the Gospel? Not just read about the intensity of the book of Acts, but live it? Are you ready to stop living just a plain, comfortable life and step out on the water?
Are you ready to give an account of your life to God? If not, then what will make you ready? Living out the American Dream? Will that satisfy you? Have you no concern for others to be saved?
There is no way we can continue to sit on our couches and watch hours of television, watching the world go to hell around us, and expect to have the smile of God on our life and think we are ready for the Day of Accounting. We are deceiving ourselves. This is what Jesus tried to warn us about many times (Luke 12:15–21; 12:35–48).
Are you ready to get radical and get a group to take the Gospel to the darkest part of your city? I dare you. If you stay in fear, then you are still trying to save your life and Jesus said that you will end up losing it. If you belong to Jesus, you have already died, so there really is nothing to lose.
If you take the challenge, I assure you, you will see the glory of God. You will come away with a bleeding heart full of the compassion of God. You will come back with a heavenly perspective; you will have a powerful testimony. Jesus came “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10), not to create religious institutions and isolated saints. The command is to “go,” not “wait and hope they will come.”
The ball is in your court. It is time to step out of the boat; it is time to take the risk; it is time for action. Your life and my life are just too short to live any other way.
Friend, unlike William Booth and England in his day, God is bringing the nations to America. What a unique opportunity not only to see our cities impacted, but also the nations. On with it—for the sake of Jesus and for the glory of God!